The Hierarchy Of Property...

‘Hello, no one will tell me where my stolen dog is, and they all know’ Tsk!!, said the Judge, we don’t know that they are the thieves, and if they aren’t, it could infringe their human rights….and he ruled that he had no jurisdiction in the matter.

In England and Wales squatting is to all intents a civil offence. In Scotland they are more robust: squatting is not only criminal but the lawful owners can evict the squatters without the hassle of going to court. Quite why all squatting is not a crime in E&W is lost in the mists of time although I believe squatters "rights" can be traced to the Forcible Entry Act 1381 and reinforced by the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. Accordingly, although I'm a visceral conservative (puh-lease not "Conservative") I consider it time to treat these people with the full force of the law (ie a suspended sentence and a payout from the poor-box).